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Sunday, September 21, 2008

Vanilla Slice

There are some people out there who are vanilla slice connoisseurs and are searching for the perfect vanilla slice. Check out the Vanilla Slice Blog if you want to join the crusade. I am very partial to a good vanilla slice and will always get one when I see it. After always fearing that they are really hard to make, after seeing Maggie Beer make one on The Cook and The Chef, I decided to give one a go myself. The recipe I chose was the one that looked the simplest. It's from the Women's Weekly Bake book and I've adapted it slightly.

As it turns out, the vanilla slice is so easy to make. And the all important taste. Well, like I said, I'm not connoisseur but I loved it more than 95% of the vanilla slices I have bought. The exception is the vanilla slices from Sorrento. It could be due to the fact that the ones I make myself have not been sitting on a shelf for days, or it's just that I made them so I'm biased. Whatever the case, they're great and I've made them a few more times since. One batch of this recipe only makes a small amount. I recommend you make a triple batch as I do each time. This will fill up a large square brownie tin of about 25cm x 35cm. They disappear so quickly that I assure you they won't go stale sitting on the bench.



Vanilla Passionfruit Slice
Adapted from Women's Weekly Bake book

INGREDIENTS
2 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup cornflour
1 1/2 tbsp custard powder
1 1/4 cup milk (330ml)
30g butter
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Passionfruit Icing
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp passionfruit pulp
1 tsp water, approx

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 220C. Grease 8cm x 26cm bar cake pan. Line with foil extending over edges.

2. Place one sheet of pastry on a tray each and bake for 15 minutes or until puffed. Take out of oven and flatten pastry with a tea towel over them.

3. Combine sugar, cornflour and custar powder in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. When all the milk is stirred in, put over high heat and keep stirring until mixture thickens. When it has thickened, turn down heat to medium and stir for a further 3 minutes to remove the floury taste and continue thickening the custard.

4. Remove pan from heat and stir in butter, egg yolk and extract.

4. Place one piece of pastry into pan. Pour over hot custard and spread evenly. Place other piece of pastry over custard. cool to room temperature.

5. To make passionfruit icing, sift icing sugar into heatproof bowl. Stir in passionfruit pulp and enough water to make a paste. Stir over small saucepan of simmering water until icing is spreadable.

6. Spread icing over pastry. Set at room temperature and refrigerate 3 hours in fridge before cutting.

4 comments:

  1. Nice one Thanh! I'll backlink this post to the Vanilla Slice Blog for those looking for recipes.

    Sadly the Custard Crusaders have failed to sample any good VS of late, any worth writing about that is. As you said many seem to have sat around for too long before eating. Plus, I think subconsciously we've cut back our intake trying to slim down for our trip to Vietnam & Thailand - LOL!

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  2. Y'know, I've been intending to make vanilla slices for yearrrrrssss. Maybe you've given me that final push to do it. Good to hear how easy you found it (and delicious).

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  3. Sticky, the vanilla blog has decreased in activity.

    When and how long will you be going to Vietnam and Thailand?

    Duncan, you have to make these. If you use pre-made puff pastry from the supermarket, it only takes about 30-45 minutes all up to make this delicious treat.

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  4. Beat the eggs till light and fluffy. Soften the butter (microwave at 100 percent powder for 10 to 20 seconds) and add to the eggs. Add vanilla essence and sugar and beat till well blended.

    Sieve cocoa, flour and baking powder together and gradually fold into the egg-butter mixture, making quick figures of eight in the base of the bowl. Add milk or orange juice.

    Line the base of the microwave safe dish with greased and floured greaseproof or brown paper and pour in the batter. Microwave at 100 percent powder for five minutes. Stand for five minutes. (Test with a skewer). When cool, gently turn the cake out. Store in an airtight box.

    Top the cake with nuts. A dusting of castor sugar will make it look very attractive.



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